AFS-12-541-E

December 26, 2012

 Exemption No. 10184A

 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2010-1128

Mr. Santi Lombardo

Vice President, Flight Operations

Pinnacle Airlines, Inc.

40 South Main Street, Suite 1400

Memphis, TN 38103

Dear Mr. Lombardo:

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your petition to extend and amend Exemption

No. 10184. It explains the basis for our decision, describes its effect, and lists the revised

conditions and limitations.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated September 9, 2012, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

on behalf of Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. (Pinnacle), for an extension of Exemption No. 10184. 

That exemption, if granted, would allow a new Pinnacle pilot in command (PIC) that is 

subject to higher landing weather minimum requirements to operate to the normal, lower 

Category I minimums under the conditions stipulated.

Pursuant to your petition, the FAA has amended Condition and Limitation No. 1 to reference 

Operation Specifications (OpSpec) D08 thereby limiting use of the exemption to operations 

conducted in Pinnacle fleet 9E.

In your petition, you indicate that there has been no change in the conditions and reasons 

relative to public interest and safety that were the basis for granting the original exemption.

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition 

in the Federal Register because the requested extension of the exemption would not set a 

precedent, and any delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to Pinnacle.
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Our Decision

The FAA has determined that the justification for the issuance of Exemption No. 10184

remains valid with respect to this exemption and is in the public interest. Therefore, under the 

authority provided by 49 U.S.C. 40113 and 44701, which the FAA Administrator has 

delegated to me, I grant your petition, subject to the following revised conditions and 

limitations.

Conditions and Limitations 

1. This exemption applies only to those aircraft identified as Pinnacle fleet (9E) in 

OpSpec paragraph D085.

2. General. To use either Category I or Category II instrument approach procedure 

weather minimums under any provisions of this exemption a certificate holder must 

ensure that its flightcrew training and qualification program meets the following 

general requirements:

a. Suitable low visibility instrument approach, landing, and missed approach 

scenarios are included in flight training using the applicable airborne system 

and appropriate training devices or simulators for those scenarios; and

b. Specific approval by the certificate holder's principal operations inspector to 

use this exemption is obtained for each aircraft type.

3. Category I, specific. A PIC with fewer than 100 hours as PIC in the airplane being 

operated may be authorized to use the lowest applicable Category I instrument 

approach minimums for a particular runway and instrument approach procedure if 

each of the following conditions is met:

a. The PIC and other required flightcrew members are trained and qualified for 

Category II or Category III, or are trained to an equivalent level with respect to 

the airborne system use, ground facility use, associated procedures, and any 

other relevant topics;

b. The aircraft and associated airborne systems are eligible for Category I or II for 

that operator when the certificate holder's approved training program 

incorporates the use of an approach coupler or a head-up display (HUD) system

that provides flight guidance information to decision height;

c. The approach coupler or HUD system is used for the approach to decision 

height or until initiation of a missed approach;
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d. The flightcrew must use appropriate instrument approach procedures for 

Category II or III, or equivalent instrument approach procedures acceptable to 

the Administrator; and

e. Category I instrument approach procedures or landings will not be initiated 

when the weather conditions are below 4,000 runway visual range (3/4 mile 

visibility) and the cross-wind component exceeds 15 knots combined with a 

braking action report of less than "good."

4. Category II, specific. A PIC with fewer than 100 hours as PIC in the airplane being 

operated may conduct Category II operations in accordance with Operations 

Specifications paragraph C059 if each of the following conditions is met:

a. The PIC has at least 300 hours as a PIC or second in command in a turbojet 

airplane;

b. The PIC and other required flightcrew members are trained and qualified in 

Category II or III instrument approach procedures, and use those procedures 

appropriately;

c. The aircraft and associated airborne systems are approved for Category III for 

the certificate holder, or for Category II for the certificate holder using an 

approach coupler and an autoland system or HUD which provides flight 

guidance information to decision height; and

d. The approach coupler and autoland system or HUD is used for the instrument 

approach procedure and landing or until initiation of a missed approach.

The Effect of Our Decision

Our decision extends the termination date of Exemption No. 10184 to January 31, 2015,

unless sooner superseded or rescinded. 

Sincerely,

/s/

John S. Duncan

Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service